First Interstellar Guide Chapter 55: Clear Situation

Chapter 55: Clear Situation

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

At 7 o’clock in the evening, after Lu Zexuan left, Yu Ran went alone to the White Tower restaurant for dinner. He saw Tang Ce, Lin Fengyao, and Lu Xiaolong also eating there, so he went over and greeted them, “Have you guys been out for fun these past couple of days?”

Tang Ce replied, “I didn’t go out. I watched a few movies in the dorm.”

Lu Xiaolong scratched his head and laughed, “I went out to buy some snacks.”

Lin Fengyao patted his shoulder, “I knew it, your only interest is eating. Remember to share some snacks with me later.” She looked at Yu Ran and whispered, “Ranran, have you been on a date with Major Lu these days?”

Yu Ran smiled shyly, “We went to the park yesterday and this morning, he took me shopping for some clothes.”

Lu Xiaolong looked envious, “You guys have such a good relationship. When will I ever meet my own guide?”

Tang Ce chuckled, “Brother Long, you’re so handsome, you’ll definitely meet someone.”

Lin Fengyao looked puzzled, “By the way, didn’t Major Lu come with you for supper?”

Yu Ran said, “He went to have dinner with a friend. He’ll be back before eleven.”

Lin Fengyao smiled, “Major Lu is such a good boyfriend. He reports back to you wherever he goes and whatever time he comes back.”

Yu Ran blushed, “He’s just worried that I’ll worry.”

The group chatted while eating, and after dinner, they each went back to their dorms. Since Tang Ce was new this year, his dorm was on a different floor. He pretended to go upstairs but quietly changed elevators after reaching the floor, arriving at the floor where Yu Ran lived.

Tang Ce jumped into a blind spot in the surveillance and quickly changed his appearance, perfectly blending with the ceiling.

Yu Ran approached his dorm door, opened it, and suddenly felt a breeze by his ear. He calmly entered the room, locked the door behind him, and then Tang Ce, who was already in the room, jumped down and revealed himself.

Yu Ran connected with him mentally and asked, “Lieutenant Tang, did you find anything?”

Tang Ce said, “That day on the starship, I sneaked out to investigate. Lu Xiaolong happened to appear in the warehouse. At that time, I thought he was just sneaking out to steal something, but now thinking back, he might have been eavesdropping on others while pretending to steal. These days, I also asked some old members, and they all said that Lu Xiaolong is a foodie. Many people have caught him sneaking food at midnight. And, he often goes out to buy snacks.”

Yu Ran frowned slightly upon hearing this, “He often goes out to buy snacks?”

Tang Ce continued, “As a sentinel with a chameleon spirit body, theoretically, he shouldn’t have a big appetite. I heard from Sister Niao that he had just bought a batch of snacks before our departure, and it hasn’t been a week yet. It’s impossible for him to have finished them all, right? So, I guess buying snacks is just an excuse. Being a foodie might be a deliberate persona he’s created. Maybe, he uses buying snacks as a reason to go out and meet someone?”

Yu Ran thought carefully and said, “That’s possible. What about Mohr? Any news from him?”

“Mohr was out all day on Saturday and looked terrible when he came back. He didn’t go out on Sunday.” Tang Ce paused and continued, “Xiong Kai was the same, out all day Saturday, and didn’t go out on Sunday. I’ve observed the others carefully; some went home to visit their parents, and most of the sentinels went out together to play basketball, boxing, swimming, and similar activities. Nothing suspicious.”

Sentinels are energetic and love sports, so there’s nothing wrong with spending leisure time together doing sports.

Yu Ran nodded, “I see. Be careful not to be spotted by the mole.”

“Don’t worry. Major Lu is coming back soon, right? I’ll leave first.” Tang Ce turned and left.

Yu Ran opened the door, and Tang Ce jumped onto the ceiling with a leap, quickly disappearing from view.

—

At 10:30 in the evening, Lu Zexuan returned to the White Tower on time. In the corridor, he happened to meet Xiong Kai. Lu Zexuan saw Xiong Kai acting suspiciously at his dorm door and whispered, “Vice Captain Xiong, are you looking for me?”

Xiong Kai nervously scratched his head and said, “I have something to discuss with you.”

Lu Zexuan said, “Let’s talk inside.”

Yu Ran was inside the room thinking about something. When he heard the commotion outside, he immediately adjusted his expression. When Lu Zexuan opened the door, Yu Ran already had a cute smile on his face as he approached, “You’re back?”

He then naturally took Lu Zexuan’s coat from him and hung it on the nearby coat rack, appearing like a caring little boyfriend. His gaze was fixed on Lu Zexuan, and only then did he notice Xiong Kai behind him, surprised, “Vice Captain Xiong is here too?”

Xiong Kai looked embarrassed and greeted Yu Ran, “Guide Yu, I… I came to talk to Major Lu about something.”

Yu Ran said, “Come in quickly.”

Xiong Kai entered the room, hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and said, “Captain, um, I want to apply for retirement. I won’t go on this mission with everyone.”

Lu Zexuan and Yu Ran exchanged a glance—what’s going on? The undercover they initially suspected is actually planning to leave midway?

Lu Zexuan narrowed his eyes slightly, “Why suddenly apply for retirement?”

Xiong Kai blushed, “My father has always wanted me to work on the capital star. I heard that this mission almost cost the lives of the Eagle Special Forces members, so he took the initiative to submit a retirement application for me… I’m sorry, Major Lu, I know this is like desertion, but I also want to fight alongside everyone. But my grandmother has been very ill these past two years, and I’ve been taking care of her single-handedly. I want to go back and take care of her for a while.”

Xiong Kai has served in the Eagle Special Forces for seven and a half years. According to regulations, sentinels can retire after serving eight years. However, under special circumstances, they can apply for early retirement a year in advance. Xiong Kai’s father works in the government and is worried about his son’s safety, so he directly applied for retirement for him, which is understandable.

But if Xiong Kai leaves the team, it means he’s not the undercover agent planted by the Dark Night Organization. Then, why did he silently observe what they were doing? Yu Ran looked at the Vice Captain in front of him with suspicion.

Lu Zexuan straightforwardly said, “Since your father has already submitted the retirement application, let’s follow the normal procedure. You’ve served seven and a half years in the team, which is long enough. If you want to go back to take care of your family, it’s your personal choice, and I won’t interfere.”

Xiong Kai bowed deeply to Lu Zexuan and said softly, “Major Lu, you’re the most responsible captain I’ve ever seen. I’ve gained a lot from following you over the years. After retiring, I’ll go to the Security Bureau on the capital star. If you need me in the future, just ask.”

Lu Zexuan patted his shoulder, “Well, do well in your new position. See you if we have the chance. Do you need me to arrange a farewell banquet for you?”

Xiong Kai quickly waved his hand, “No need, no need. I’m leaving halfway, it’s like desertion, I’m too ashamed to face everyone. Just say that I have urgent family matters, my grandmother is in the hospital, so I’m taking a temporary leave.”

Lu Zexuan nodded, “Alright, you can go then.”

Xiong Kai turned and left, with the towering brown bear spirit body trailing behind him, its head drooping as if feeling somewhat dejected. After he left, Lu Zexuan and Yu Ran exchanged a glance, both puzzled.

Yu Ran immediately connected with Lu Zexuan using mental tendrils, “Did you find anything on your end? Why did Xiong Kai suddenly want to leave?”

Lu Zexuan replied, “I had someone track him, and we found that he’s highly aware of counter-surveillance. On Saturday, he drove to a hot spring hotel in the suburbs, where the Deputy Head of the Investigation Division, Qi An, his sister, also went to the same hotel. They should have met.”

It had been early on that Yu Ran had inferred that Qi An was Xiong Kai’s sister.

Yu Ran rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then suddenly thought of a possibility, “I understand now. Xiong Kai isn’t an undercover agent for the Dark Night Organization — he’s an undercover agent for the Investigation Division! He’s been secretly investigating me under the orders of Zhu Tianyi and his sister.”

Lu Zexuan carefully considered and found it plausible, “Zhu Tianyi has always suspected your involvement with the official killed on Planet B73. And since Xiong Kai is Qi An’s brother and works in the Eagle Special Forces, he commissioned Xiong Kai to observe you secretly, to see if there’s anything suspicious about you.”

Yu Ran nodded along with Lu Zexuan’s conjecture, “During this mission, when you were engulfed by the beast horde and I rushed to save you regardless of my own safety, Xiong Kai probably felt that I didn’t seem like a murderer. His visit to the hot spring hotel yesterday was likely to report the investigation results to his sister. With their influential background, his father probably didn’t want him working in the dangerous Eagle Special Forces, so he helped him apply for retirement.”

The logic seemed to fall into place. Xiong Kai had been secretly observing Yu Ran and Lu Zexuan, but it had nothing to do with the Dark Night Organization. Instead, he was working for the Investigation Division. But if Xiong Kai wasn’t connected to the Dark Night Organization, then maybe his sister, Qi An, wasn’t the undercover agent for the Investigation Division either.

The Investigation Division consisted of S-rank Sentinel Chief Zhu Tianyi, along with two A+ guides, Deputy Head Qi An, and the Chief Interrogator Kroger. All three of them were powerful in their own right. If Qi An wasn’t working for the Dark Night Organization, then… could it be Kroger?

Yu Ran recalled how Kroger had unexpectedly invaded his mental landscape during his interrogation.

At that time, Yu Ran had assumed the role of a C-rank guide, and there had been no need for such brutal interrogation tactics on a low-ranking guide like Yu Ran. Unless Kroger had already known Yu Ran’s identity and the sudden attack was just a test to see if Yu Ran had the strength to serve the organization?

Yu Ran remembered the scene from yesterday when the siblings, Adeline, forcibly invaded his mental landscape.

The style… was oddly similar, wasn’t it?

During the banquet, Kroger hadn’t directly appeared, but he must have been outside to assist. This meant that if he was the Dark Night Organization’s mole within the Investigation Division, he could have found a way to obtain information from Zhu Tianyi after Yu Ran’s blunder. After all, Kroger was the highest-ranking interrogator in the Investigation Division.

Moreover, during Adeline’s interrogation, he could have manipulated things.

Yu Ran’s mental tendrils connected with Lu Zexuan, transmitting his thoughts.

Lu Zexuan pondered for a moment and said, “Your analysis makes sense. When Kroger interrogated you by surprise, I felt something was off. His interrogation methods have always been ruthless, but interrogating a low-ranked guide mentally, there’s a risk of causing harm. It seems he knew about your powerful mental energy and that you wouldn’t break under interrogation. The sudden attack was just a test to see if you had the ability to work for the organization.”

Yu Ran nodded in agreement, “That also makes sense. Moreover, Kroger is a growing guide. From C-rank to A+, I suspect his mental energy isn’t just A+. If his colored butterflies can multiply indefinitely, his mental energy should be at the S-rank level.”

The two exchanged a glance. The Dark Night Organization seemed to have infiltrated everywhere, with their eyes and ears in various departments. No wonder there had been no progress in Zhu Tianyi’s investigation. It was possible that Kroger had tampered with the investigation report. Even if he had discovered something after the two sentinels died attacking each other on the starship, with Yu Ran destroying their mental landscapes, Kroger wouldn’t inform Chief Zhu.

Chief Zhu was affiliated with the President, while the Investigation Division was an independent investigative agency. Assuming the President hadn’t been compromised yet, then the Dark Night Organization would likely try to eliminate Zhu Tianyi or control him through their mole, thus misleading the President’s information assessment.

It seemed that Chief Zhu, like Lu Zexuan, was in danger.

As the situation gradually became clearer, Yu Ran looked at Lu Zexuan, “Since Xiong Kai is leaving the team, then the mole planted by the Dark Night Organization must be someone else. Have you discovered anything new on your end?”

Lu Zexuan replied, “Yes, there’s one more suspect: Lu Xiaolong.”

This answer actually coincided with Tang Ce’s inference.

It was obvious that Lu Xiaolong and Xiong Kai didn’t know each other, otherwise, if they had cooperated, Tang Ce might not have found anything.

Now it seemed that Xiong Kai was an assistant from the Investigation Division. He wasn’t an undercover agent sent in advance by Zhu Tianyi. It just so happened that he was Qi An’s younger brother and worked in the Eagle Special Forces. So, Director Zhu had him secretly investigate Yu Ran. That’s why he quietly observed Yu Ran.

And Lu Xiaolong was the deepest undercover agent of the secret Dark Night Organization.

He had been in the special forces for five and a half years. When he reported to the team, the Captain was still Major General Lu Cheng’an.

Yu Ran asked, “Lu Xiaolong, I saw him when I was having dinner just now. He said he went to buy snacks on Saturday.”

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Zexuan’s eyes, “It’s more likely that he used buying snacks as an excuse to meet with his informant. And, I suspect that my cousin’s sudden berserk also has something to do with this Lu Xiaolong.”

Yu Ran exclaimed, “Your cousin suddenly went berserk?”

Lu Zexuan nodded, “The day before he left, he ate a pack of cookies given to him by Lu Xiaolong.”